Thai police have arrested five Indian nationals for allegedly kidnapping three Indian tourists in Pattaya and demanding ransom from their families. Police said the victims were lured to Thailand with the promise of a cheap holiday. They were then held captive and allegedly tortured. The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₹40 lakh from each family. The victims were rescued after the Indian Embassy alerted Thai authorities. Police said the suspects claimed a Pakistani national instructed them to carry out the kidnapping. Investigators are examining the alleged Pakistan link. Police also recovered items believed to have been used during the crime.

Voting began on Thursday for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar. Around 3.8 lakh voters will decide the fate of 26 candidates. Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor is contesting his first election against BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha. The seat became vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Polling will continue until 6 pm, and votes will be counted on August 3. During voting, Kishor alleged that Bihar Police detained several of his supporters at the BJP's request. Police had not responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.

India has criticised The New York Times for using the term "Pakistani Kashmir" in a report on violence during local elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Indian Embassy in the US called the wording "misleading and incorrect." It said there is only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and repeated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India. The newspaper's report covered clashes between protesters and security forces in PoK. According to reports, more than 30 people were killed during the crackdown. India has also criticised Pakistan over the violence and its administration of the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. If Xi visits, it will be his first trip to India since 2019. The summit comes as tensions continue in West Asia. Leaders are expected to discuss the conflict and other global issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may hold separate meetings with the visiting leaders. India is hosting the BRICS Summit after five years. Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has also been invited as the current chair of BIMSTEC, according to the report. (PC: AFP)

The death toll from this year's floods in Assam has reached 78 after three more people died in Sivasagar and Golaghat districts. More than 3 lakh people remain affected across seven districts, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Over 16,500 people are staying in relief camps, while thousands more are receiving aid. Floods have damaged roads, homes, schools and farmland. Urban flooding also continues in parts of Guwahati. The India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain until August 1. Officials have asked people to stay alert as fresh rain could worsen flooding and landslides.

A medical report says doctors removed several metallic foreign bodies from the body of Sheikh Irshad Mansoori after the July 20 protest in Delhi. The report states the objects were found in his head, neck, shoulder, and mouth during surgery. Mansoori said seven pellet-like objects were removed, while some still remain in his body. He claimed the hospital kept the recovered objects. The hospital did not say if they were sent for forensic tests. Delhi Police said some social media claims of gunshot injuries are not supported by medical records. Police and the CRPF are separately examining the use of pellet rounds. (PC: Reuters)

India enjoyed another strong day at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Murali Sreeshankar moving into medal contention in the men's long jump final. The biggest highlight came from boxing, where Indian pugilists guaranteed 10 medals, setting the country's best-ever boxing haul in a single Commonwealth Games. Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Narender Berwal and Jaismine Lamboria all secured victories to reach the medal rounds. India also saw progress in athletics, para swimming and shot put, taking its guaranteed medal tally to 22 while adding to its official medal count. (PC: NDTV)

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action against student protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Gandhi alleged that pellet guns and excessive force were used against peaceful demonstrators and demanded Shah's removal, saying he was either responsible or incompetent. He also accused the government of silencing Opposition voices in Parliament and questioned its handling of student concerns. Promising an "Opposition guarantee", Gandhi said every injured student would receive justice and those responsible would be held accountable. (PC: HT)

Farmers protesting in Bhopal continued their agitation on Wednesday after talks with the Madhya Pradesh government failed to fully address their demands. A minor scuffle broke out when some protesters tried to move forward despite police appeals to remain calm. Following a three-hour meeting, the government increased moong procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) from 25% to 60%, extended procurement and registration deadlines, and suspended the fertiliser e-token system pending a review. However, farmer leaders rejected the measures, insisting on 100% MSP procurement and warning that the protest would continue until all demands are accepted. (PC: India Today)

The Centre has said Meta's explanation for briefly removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post is "not adequate" and that the matter remains unresolved. Meta said the content was removed "in error" and restored soon after, apologising for the incident. However, government officials said the explanation did not sufficiently clarify what caused the removal and sought further discussions. Meta has reportedly assured the IT Ministry that posts by the Prime Minister and other prominent public figures will receive additional oversight and senior-level reviews to prevent similar incidents in the future. The government continues to examine the issue. (PC: Deccan Herald)